This specification relates to brushless motors with linear Hall sensors.
Hall-effect digital output sensors can be used to detect the discrete rotational position of a motor, such as a brushless DC (BLDC) motor. A BLDC motor typically requires at least three Hall sensors (also known as Hall-effect sensors) to effectively commutate the motor and provide motor position feedback. The Hall sensors can be used to control electronic switching or “commutation” of drive current among a plurality of motor windings. The commutation induces a rotating component to an overall magnetic field associated with the windings. The interaction of the rotating magnetic field component with the motor's permanent magnets can cause rotation of the motor. In one example, a BLDC configuration employs three windings offset from each other by 120 degrees of electrical phase.